638 Ways To Kill Castro

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All Rise...

Funny, Havana doesn't look at all like Judge Neal Solon remembers it from his college Spring Break days.

The Charge

From explosions to deadly poisons, they tried but he survived!

Opening Statement

To say that Fidel Castro is unpopular with US government officials is an
understatement. But to imagine that people have tried 638 different ways to kill
the man is a bit mind-boggling, is it not? How could this documentary be
anything less than supremely interesting? Some how, director Dollan Cannell and
his team have found a way.

Facts of the Case

This 79-minute documentary, made for British television, traces Castro's rise
to power and the lives of those who knew him and would ultimately try to kill
him.

The Evidence

The title 638 Ways to Kill Castro comes from a single moment the film
when Fabian Escalante, former security chief for the Castro regime,
unflinchingly shares the fact that he has documentation to prove the existence
and failure of 638 plots to end the dictator's life. The narrator then lists a
few of the more absurd plots, ranging from a poisoned milkshake to an explosive,
radio-controlled plane. The remainder of the film focuses less on the myriad
ways to kill Castro than on a handful of the men who have tried and failed.

To some, this distinction may seem irrelevant—at most, a slight
misrepresentation of the film for the sake of sensationalism. Still, this
disparity between title and content is indicative of the fractured way in which
the film tells its story.

On the one hand, 638 Ways to Kill Castro is satisfying. The stories
told by each of the would-be assassins are fascinating, and they provide a
privileged glimpse into a secret history. Men from all sides of these
assassination attempts implicate resistance groups, the US government, and
government officials, both American and Cuban. It becomes clear, through tales
of active US involvement and implicit US sanctioning of men who could rightly be
called criminals and terrorists, just how invested in ridding the world of the
Castro regime the US government is.

On the other hand, 638 Ways to Kill Castro detracts from its message
by trying to be overly playful and stylish. Structured around the stories of men
who have been directly involved in plots against Castro, the film seems to have
little faith in the inherent appeal of its content. Instead of providing the
interviews and historical insight in a manner that allows them to speak for
themselves, the filmmakers include stock, noirish footage of a police lineup and
a voiceover introducing each of the primary interviewees as
"suspects." The film even goes so far as to use footage from classic
noir and gangster films to "illustrate" many of the assassination
attempts.

These directorial choices cheapen the potency of the film's content
immeasurably. Their effect becomes all the more apparent when one sifts through
the more than 70 minutes of extra interviews included on the disc, from people
ranging from President Jimmy Carter to a CIA agent to a Cuban-American
politician. At first, one wonders why some of this material was omitted from the
film, as it seems much strong than some of the footage that was ultimately
included and could certainly serve the same narrative functions. Upon
reflection, it becomes clear that this footage is no stronger than what was
ultimately included in the film, it just benefits from the fact that it is
undiluted by self-conscious filmmaking and attempts are wryness. The interviews
are fascinating and provide a glimpse of just how great this film could have
been.

BCI Eclipse's presentation of 638 Ways to Kill Castro is on par with
what one might expect. Beyond the wealth of extra interviews, there are no
additional extras, and the video and audio reflect the nature of the film.
Visually, the film looks like what it is: something shot on a relatively low
budget, using video and mostly available light. The audio is clear and
effective, and neither facet of the audiovisual presentation ever distracts from
the film itself.

Closing Statement

The story that the filmmaker is trying to tell in 638 Ways to Kill
Castro is an important and interesting one. The archival footage and recent
interviews are insightful and candid, it is just unfortunate that self-conscious
filmmaking had to get in the way. Ultimately, the film is worth seeing, even if
it is unlikely to be something you'll watch more than once.

The Verdict

The filmmakers will do 638 hours of community service for ruining a perfectly
good story; all other parties are free to go.